Henare Tomoana was a Māori rangatira

Rangatira

Rangatira are the hereditary Māori leaders of hapū, and were described by ethnologists such as Elsdon Best as chieftains . Ideally, rangatira were people of great practical wisdom who held authority on behalf of the tribe and maintained boundaries between a tribe's land and that of other tribes...

 (chief) from the Hawkes Bay (Heretaunga) area in the North Island

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, of Ngāti Kahungunu

Ngati Kahungunu

Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke’s Bay and Tararua and Wairārapa regions....

 and Ngati Te Whatu-i-Apiti tribal lineage.

He was renowned as a military leader in the New Zealand War against Te Kooti

Te Kooti

Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki was a Māori leader, the founder of the Ringatu religion and guerrilla.While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau in 1865, he was accused of spying. Exiled to the Chatham Islands without trial along with captured Hauhau, he experienced visions and...

, and as a newspaper publisher.

Later he was one of the first Māori politicians, holding the seat of Eastern Maori

Eastern Maori

Eastern Maori was one of the four original New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorates, from 1868 to 1996.-Population centres:The electorate includes the following population centres:* -Tribal areas:...

 for five years from 1879 to 1884 when he was defeated; he was the third person to hold the seat. He was later appointed a member of the Legislative Council

New Zealand Legislative Council

The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...

, from 1898 to 20 February 1904 when he died.

His son Paraire Henare Tomoana was a prominent Māori leader and scholar.